Oyster-clamp.



D. DU BOE.

OYSTER CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED 00131. I916.

1,232,5 1 3. I Patented July 10. 1917.

DOMINIQUE DU BOE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

OYSTER-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed October 31, 1916. Serial No. 128,682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DoMrNr Un Du Bon,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oyster-Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to oyster clamps for holding oysters, clams or the like while they are being opened, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this kind which may be conveniently used without danger of injuring the hand of the shucker in case the tool or knife slips. Another object is to provide a clamp which may be readily used in one hand for firmly clamping an oyster therein, and which is adjustable for holding various sizes of oysters or clams. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of the specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an oyster clamp made substantially in accordance with this invent'on, the upper clamping jaw or member being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower jaw or member of the clamp.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the lower member of the clamp as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a detailed under plan view of the upper jaw or member of the clamp.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of upper jaw or member of the clamp.

Fig. 6 is an resilient fingers broken away, and

Fig. 7 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

The lower jaw or member of the clamp comprises a bowed plate 1 supported upon curved brackets 2, which are fastened, as at 3, to the opposite edges of the plate 1. The brackets 2 are preferably flattened, as at 4, for supporting the member 1 in an upright position on a table or other suitable supporting surface. The lower plate 1 is proend view thereof with the vided with slots 5 through which the juice or liquor from the oyster may escape should any be spilled from the oyster while it is being opened.

A bent rod 7 is hinged at its opposite ends, as at 8, to the under surface of the plate 1 near one edge thereof, and at the lowest point on said rod there is pivoted a bar 9 having a handle 11 rigidly attached to its outer end. As best shown in Fig. 3, the rod 7 is preferably curved and extends well down below the plate 1, so that it has quite a wide range of movement in swinging about on the hinges 8.

The handle 11 has another bar 12 also rigidly secured thereto, said rod 12 being offset outwardly from the bar 9 and carrying a dished or conveXo-concave upper jaw or member 13 at its free end. The plate 1 has a fiat extension 6 at the middle of one edge, and to said extension a pair of vertical guide pins 1 1 are secured by nuts 15 which clamp against the opposite faces of the extension. These pins 1 L extend far enough below the extension 6 of the plate 1 to serve as guides for the bars 12 and 9. The extension 6 may also be provided with a notch of slightly greater width than the bar 9, whereby said bar is given a wider range of movement.

It will be readily understood that by exerting the proper pressure upon the handle 11 the upper jaw or member 13 may be held firmly down upon an oyster or clam for firmly clamping the same between said upper jaw and the lower jaw of the clamp. When it is desired to release the oyster or clam, the upper jaw 13 may be raised by swinging the bar 9 and hanger rod 7 on the hinges 8.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, 16 designates a flat plate at the free end of the bar 12 instead of the convexo-concave jaw 13. The plate 16 has an upwardly turned flange 17 at its outer end, and in said flange are formed a plurality of slots 18 through which project an equal number of resilient fingers 19. These fingers are pivotally connected to a metal strip 20 which is secured to the upper surface of the plate 16 by screws 21 and has spacing members 22 interposed be tween adjacent ones of the fingers. Said fingers are pivoted on a bolt 23 passed through their inner end and the spacing members 22. The slots 18 are preferably of different lengths in order to permit the middle finger to rise above the end ones, as shown in Fig. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw, of a bar hinged thereto, another bar ofiset upwardly from the first bar, a handle rigidly attached to both bars, and an upper jaw carried by the upper bar.

2. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw comprising a bowed plate having slots therein for the purpose specified, and brackets for supporting said plate, of an upper jaw hinged to the lower jaw, and a handle for actuating the upper jaw.

8. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw comprising a bowed plate, brackets for supporting said plate, and a pair of vertical guide pins, of an upper jaw, a bar carryin the same and arranged between said guide pins, and a handle on the outer end of said bar.

4. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw having a plate and curved supporting brackets therefor, said brackets having flattened bases for the purpose specified, of an upper jaw hinged to the lower jaw, and a handle for actuating said upper J 5. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw having a plate mounted on supporting brackets, of a swinging rod hinged to said plate and depending therefrom, a bar pivoted to said swinging rod, a handle on the outer end of said bar, another bar ofl' set upwardly from the first bar and also rigidly secured to the handle, and an upper jaw carried by the upper bar.

6. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw having a plate mounted on supporting brackets, of a swinging rod hinged to said plate and depending there- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the from, a bar pivoted to said swinging rod, a handle on the outer end of said bar, another bar offset upwardly from the first bar and also rigidly secured to the handle, an upper jaw carried by the upper bar, and means for guiding said bars in the plane of movement of the inner end of the lower bar which is attached to the swinging rod.

7. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw having a plate mounted on supporting brackets, of a swinging rod hinged to said plate and depending therefrom, a bar pivoted to said swinging rod, a handle 011 the outer end of said bar, another bar ofiset upwardly from the first bar and also rigidly secured to the handle, an upper jaw carried by the upper bar, and an extension on the plate of the lower jaw inthe direction of the handle, said extension having a notch for increasing the range of movement of the lower bar.

8. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw having a plate mounted on supporting brackets, of a bar hinged to said plate, a handle on the outer end of said bar, another bar ofl set upwardly from the first bar and also secured to the handle, an upper jaw carried by the upper bar, an extension on the plate of the lower jaw for the handle, and a pair of guide pins secured to said extension and projecting above and below the same for guiding said bars in the plane of movement of the lower bar on its hinges.

9. In an oyster clamp, the combination with a lower jaw, of an upper jaw having a plate, a flange at the end of said plate, a plurality of spaced fingers hinged to the plate, there being slots in the flange through which said fingers extend, and said slots being of different lengths for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DOMINIQUE DU BOE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

